Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a service through which television and other video content is delivered to an end user over a packet-switched network, such as the internet. An IPTV subscriber connects to an IPTV network in a similar way that a cable subscriber connects to a cable network. The IPTV subscriber receives a set-top box (STB) from the IPTV provider, and the set-top box connects to the IPTV backend over a packet-switched network. The physical connection between the IPTV backend and the set-top box, for example, may be a Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL), fiber, Ethernet, etc. One or more servers within the IPTV backend then provide the television content to the set-top box for viewing over the subscriber's television or other suitable display. The IPTV subscriber can view an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) displayed by the set-top box, and select programs or videos to watch.
IPTV providers maintain a committed Quality of Service (QoS) for the IPTV service so that the content being viewed by a subscriber is not interrupted. IPTV providers are competing with cable, Internet over-the-top (OTT), and satellite providers, so they want subscribers to have a high-quality viewing experience. Therefore, the IPTV network is a “closed” network that is specifically designed to deliver IPTV content.